Valdez owns it. He is gleefully one with the Willy Wonka-inspired creation, which may explain why he was invited to be onstage Saturday with Kid Rock at the Bud Light River City Rockfest or how he once finagled breakfast with Metallica's Lars Ulrich at a local IHOP.

“You can't miss him,” said Tom James, Spurs senior director of communications, praising Valdez's passion, as well as all the fun silliness that comes with the playoffs. “I'm always amazed.”

Oompa Loompas are the happy, singing small workers at Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. They are the beloved creation of children's book author Roald Dahl.

But this isn't a one-off for Valdez, who's been dressing this way (mostly at Halloween time and at costume contests) for 15 years.

On Wednesday, he caught the attention of Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley before Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference finals at AT&T Center.

Valdez was holding a handmade poster depicting Shaq and Barkley in Oompa Loompa outfits. Not pretty.

“What's that? Wonka?” O'Neal asked as he walked by, heading up the steps to the TNT booth. “That's hilarious.”

Barkley, who wouldn't be goaded, only could manage, “What's up, my brother?”

Valdez's bizarre look has earned him friends as well as attention. Five years ago, Joel Sauceda met Valdez at Sherlock's, and they're now good friends.

Sauceda, who owns Max Life Direct, a firm that makes a dietary supplement made from deer antler velvet, even uses Valdez as an unofficial mascot at promotional events for the company.

In return, Sauceda has been taking the costumed Valdez to Spurs playoff games, where he holds posters with the website wonkaman.com, a domain owned by Valdez that takes visitors to Max Life's Facebook page.

Valdez dreams of becoming a candy maker one day. For now, he slings drinks and drives around downtown — sometimes in his squatty, slightly creepy Oompa Loompa fashion statement — on a scooter that blows candy-scented bubbles.